What is the default OSPF hello and dead interval on non broadcast multiaccess network?

RFC 2328: OSPF Version 2 defines OSPF network types. In this article, we are going to discuss the two major network types, which are Point-to-Point and Broadcast. As a network engineer working with OSPF, you must understand the differences between each OSPF network type and their compatibility. Some types will function together, but the hello and dead timers must be adjusted. The following list indicates which OSPF network types can communicate with one another:

  • Broadcast to Broadcast
  • Non-broadcast to Non-broadcast
  • Point-to-Point to Point-to-Point
  • Broadcast to Non-broadcast Networks (adjust hello and dead timers)
  • Point-to-Point to Point-to-Multipoint Networks (adjust hello and dead timers)

A Point-to-Point network type is, as its name implies, a connection between two specific points (or OSPF routers). On a point-to-point link, a packet delivered from one of the routers will always have precisely one recipient. It does not maintain a DR/BDR relationship, and it has a 10-second hello and 40-second dead timer. Leased lines running Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) and High-Level Data Link Control (HDLC) are some examples of point-to-point links.

Broadcast

The broadcast network type is the default network type for an OSPF-enabled Ethernet interface. It requires a link that supports Layer 2 broadcast. It requires the use of a DR/BDR relationship, and it has a 10-second hello and 40-second dead timer.

Configuring the Network Types

OSPF is a very versatile protocol. Take into account its capacity to support both broadcast and non-broadcast multi-access (NBMA) network types. OSPF responds by changing its operation to match the settings you’ve provided.

OSPF makes an attempt to detect physical media and defaults to the appropriate behavior. If you don’t like the default behavior, you can override it using the following command:

Router#conf t
Router(config)#int gi0/0
Router(config-if)#ip ospf ne
Router(config-if)#ip ospf network ?
  broadcast            Specify OSPF broadcast multi-access network
  non-broadcast        Specify OSPF NBMA network
  point-to-multipoint  Specify OSPF point-to-multipoint network
  point-to-point       Specify OSPF point-to-point network

Let’s have an example. We can see below that the default network type is Broadcast and with DR neighbor.

Router#sh ip ospf int gi0/0
GigabitEthernet0/0 is up, line protocol is up 
  Internet Address 10.1.1.1/30, Area 0, Attached via Network Statement
  Process ID 1, Router ID 1.1.1.1, Network Type BROADCAST, Cost: 1
Router#sh ip ospf neighbor 

Neighbor ID     Pri   State           Dead Time   Address         Interface
2.2.2.2           1   FULL/DR         00:00:34    10.1.1.2        GigabitEthernet0/0

Change the interface network type from Broadcast to Point-to-Point:

Router#conf t
Router(config)#int gi0/0
Router(config-if)#ip ospf network point-to-point 

Upon checking again, we can see that the network type is now POINT_TO_POINT.

Router#sh ip ospf int gi0/0
GigabitEthernet0/0 is up, line protocol is up 
  Internet Address 10.1.1.1/30, Area 0, Attached via Network Statement
  Process ID 1, Router ID 1.1.1.1, Network Type POINT_TO_POINT, Cost: 1

If we check the OSPF neighbor again, we will no longer see the DR/BDR relationship.

Router#sh ip ospf  neighbor 

Neighbor ID     Pri   State           Dead Time   Address         Interface
2.2.2.2           0   FULL/  -        00:00:37    10.1.1.2        GigabitEthernet0/0

Why would not having a DR/BDR neighbor be beneficial? Assume you have a point-to-point network. Because there is only one other router to communicate with, you can reduce router memory and CPU consumption by not using neighbors. In this instance, having a basic adjacency works nicely.


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An OSPF interface includes the following timers:

  • Hello timer—Interval for sending hello packets. It must be identical on OSPF neighbors.

  • Poll timer—Interval for sending hello packets to a neighbor that is down on the NBMA network.

  • Dead timer—Interval within which if the interface does not receive any hello packet from the neighbor, it declares the neighbor is down.

  • LSA retransmission timer—Interval within which if the interface does not receive any acknowledgment packets after sending an LSA to the neighbor, it retransmits the LSA.

To set OSPF timers:

Step

Command

Remarks

1. Enter system view.

system-view

N/A

2. Enter interface view.

interface interface-type interface-number

N/A

3. Set the hello interval.

ospf timer hello seconds

By default:

  • The hello interval on P2P and broadcast interfaces is 10 seconds.

  • The hello interval on P2MP and NBMA interfaces is 30 seconds.

The default hello interval is restored when the network type for an interface is changed.

4. Set the poll interval.

ospf timer poll seconds

The default setting is 120 seconds.

The poll interval is a minimum of four times the hello interval.

5. Set the dead interval.

ospf timer dead seconds

By default:

  • The dead interval on P2P and broadcast interfaces is 40 seconds.

  • The dead interval on P2MP and NBMA interfaces is 120 seconds.

The dead interval must be a minimum of four times the hello interval on an interface.

The default dead interval is restored when the network type for an interface is changed.

6. Set the retransmission interval.

ospf timer retransmit interval

The default setting is 5 seconds.

A retransmission interval setting that is too small can cause unnecessary LSA retransmissions. This interval is typically set bigger than the round-trip time of a packet between two neighbors.

What is the default OSPF hello and dead interval on non broadcast multi access network?

OSPF Hello Interval and Dead Interval The defaults are 10 seconds for an Ethernet link and 30 seconds for a non broadcast link.

What is the default value for the OSPF dead interval?

Dead interval in seconds. Valid values range from 3 through 65535 seconds. The default is 40.

What are the default values for hello and dead packets in OSPF?

The default values are 10 seconds for the hello time, and 40 seconds for the dead time. The usual rule of thumb with OSPF is to keep the dead time value four times the hello interval.

What is OSPF Hello timer and dead timer?

Hello timer—Interval for sending hello packets. It must be identical on OSPF neighbors. Poll timer—Interval for sending hello packets to a neighbor that is down on the NBMA network. Dead timer—Interval within which if the interface does not receive any hello packet from the neighbor, it declares the neighbor is down.